Visiting in Mississippi
While in Mississippi, I got to spend some time with direct descendants of Hezekiah Mitchell, Adam’s youngest son.
Jerry Mitchell and his family took me to the Mississippi State vs. Auburn football game. To spare embarrassment, I won’t mention the score! But I had a wonderful time with the family.
Jerry’s father babysat Lulubelle while we were at the game. When we returned, he said, “Mr. Bowles, I read your book. The stories that you told are the exact same stories that I’ve heard of all my life from my ancestors.”
The whole family was welcoming and friendly, and knowing that another branch of the family shared the same stories gratified me and reinforced what I’m doing in telling the family stories.
Wow!
Another thrill! The Jonesborough (TN) Herald & Tribune devoted a full page to a review of Spring House. The review, in the column “Digging for Your Roots,” was written by John L. Kiener of the Jonesborough Genealogical Society.
He was especially complimentary of the features that normally aren’t part of a novel: the footnotes, index, and list of surnames of families known to have married into the Mitchell family. Kiener writes, “The Index makes it clear that David Bowles is among an expanding generation of genealogists who believe that genealogy is more than a series of ancestral charts.” He also praised the press kit that accompanied the review copy of the book, which gave him lots of background material. You can download an electronic version of the press kit on the Westward Sagas Web site - the entire media kit is available in one PDF file or you can select individual items.
Mr. Kiener says, “I enjoyed reading ‘Spring House.’ David Bowles has been in Washington County recently. The author attended the September meeting of the Jonesborough Genealogical Society. He is a professional genealogist that provides the hobby with the kind of direction that expands and excites our review of our families’ role in the American Experience.”
I enjoyed the genealogical society meeting and will be reporting on it along with other news of my trip in the coming days.
A Fan Letter!
I arrived home from my trip with lots of notes, ideas, and memories. I promise I’ll tell you more about the trip as soon as I’ve caught my breath and caught up … at least a little! But I found something very exciting in my mail that I have to share - a fan letter from Corinth, MS!
Fredra Brooks Wilbanks, born in 1917, is a member of the Alcorn County Genealogical Society and volunteered there until two years ago when she developed health problems. She’s a descendant of Samuel and Jane Mitchell Doak and has done a lot of research on the Doak family.
Mrs. Wilbanks wrote, “…you were at Downtown Books store in Corinth, Mississippi. My daughter-in-law Kim Rhodes works at the bookstore and you autographed ‘Spring House’ for me. I could relate to the stories. … I loved and enjoyed every page. It would be wonderful if history teachers would require students to read ‘Spring House.’ … I’ll be looking forward to reading your next book.”
I’m so glad that my book can give joy to an 89-year-old lady. And, of course, I agree wholeheartedly that my book should be required reading in schools!
Booksigning in Jackson, MS
I’ll have lots to share about my trip so stay tuned!
Today, I will be signing Spring House at Lemuria Books in Jackson, MS, 4-7 pm. I’m looking forward to meeting new friends and readers!
The Story of a Pioneer Woman
During my day in Ackerman, MS, Dennis Dobbs took me to the grave of Nancy Estes Cockerham, an ancestor of both of us. Born Dec. 27, 1776, she rode down the Natchez Trace on horseback in 1842. She was leading the way and ahead of the rest of the group. When they caught up with her, they found her horse near a tree and Mrs. Cockerham lying under the tree paralyzed. She was in pain and couldn’t move, so the people traveling with her built a lean-to and stayed with her til she died. They buried her where she fell, just a few feet off the original Natchez Trace. Her daughter Kitty, who married Perleman Carroll Bowles (my great great grandfather), buried her and stayed in the area grieving for quite some time. Since Nancy Cockersham was a Revolutionary War descendant, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) care for her grave, as isolated and hard to find as it is.
